My Favorite Bible Study Resources

One thing I refuse to miss each day is the chance to get into God's Word. Even if I have a busy day ahead of me, packed to the brim with things I have to do, I always take the time to get into His Word, even if all I can do is read a chapter or two before getting on with my day. However, when I am able to go more in-depth with my Bible studies, I have a few resources that I like to use. Nothing here is an affiliate link, the links are simply provided to help you find the resources. And in the YouTube links - there might be some "just for fun" additions to the mix!

Books

Most of the books I prefer to use are actually sets of books and of those, there are two main sets there are two that I love.

ESV Expository Commentary Set - The ESV Expository Commentary Set is one of my favorite resources. As an avid user of the ESV Bible, it makes a great companion when there is something I just cannot grasp in my studies. You can purchase it as a set or by the individual book on Amazon, through a Christian bookstore, or get it digitally via subscription to the ESV website/app. I've linked the full set on Amazon here (again, not affiliate link).

NavPress LifeChange Bible Study Series - For at least a couple of decades, possibly longer, NavPress has been producing the LifeChange Bible Study series. They have study guides for the entire Bible, as well as topical study guides such as Women of the Bible, Who is Jesus, and Christian Community. The most recent addition to the stack, if I remember correctly, was a book on Anxiety. The link above takes you to NavPress' Books and People of the Bible search page. There might be books there that aren't part of the LifeChange Series, but a good portion of them are. You can also find them at most Christian bookstores or on Amazon.

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth - This is the first in a series of books on How to Read the Bible. I own three of the four - How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, How to Read the Bible Book by Book, and How to Read the Bible Through the Jesus Lens. The other book is How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth, but that one doesn't interest me, as I've found the translations I prefer. These books can get a bit dry and a bit technical as they're walls of text, but they are helpful in showing you how to read the Bible and get what you want and need out of it.

No More Boring Bible Study - This book by Faith Womack is a masterpiece. I've been a long-time viewer of her YouTube channel (back from when it was How to Faith a Life, then Bible Nerd Ministries, and now simply Faith Womack). If you think Bible study is boring or difficult, you really should watch her channel, Faith Womack, and read this book. She shows you how to study the Bible to get all of the richness out of it. And she should know - she holds a MATS. Trust me, read the book!

Apps

There are three apps that I tend to use as part of my daily routine for Bible time. They're all devotional apps, but I enjoy all three quite a bit.

Glorify - Now, I want to warn you, Glorify heavily pushes their premium access tier, as well as a new ring they've created. So if you're not into being pestered daily about the Glorify ring or premium access tier, steer clear of this one if you don't want or can't afford to upgrade. But I do like the daily devotional, which begins with a quote from a thought leader of the faith, a Scripture passage, a short commentary on the Scripture passage, and ends with a prayer (with an ad for premium at the end of the prayer). This can be used on smartphone or tablet. There are other features of the app, but many are locked behind the premium paywall. I use it just for the daily devotional that is free and then leave the app.

First 5 - First 5 is an app from Proverbs 31 Ministries. I primarily use First 5 for the devotionals/studies they provide. Monday-Friday, the app provides a daily devotional that you read, generally part of an over-arching study that can last from 2-6 weeks (in my experience). Saturday and Sunday, there is a relevant "podcast" type teaching that is the same on both days. I tend not to listen to the podcast teaching as it isn't my favorite thing, but I do go through the devotional/study on Monday-Friday. Each day will have a Scripture reference to read, a key verse, a major moment, a commentary/lesson on the Scripture, and a prayer. There is also a "more" section you can look at for a bit of further insight and teaching on the day's subject. You might be able to access it through the website as well, I've never actually tried.

YouVersion Bible - YouVersion's famous Bible app. The one almost everyone has heard of and I actually don't personally know any Christians who don't have this app on their phones or tablets. Current funded and run by Life.Church, the YouVersion Bible app has daily devotionals, more Bible translations than I can count, the ability to listen to those Bibles (if available, not all translations allow it), and Bible reading plans. I love the Bible reading plans. They cover all different subjects, from Bible in a Year to specific topics. It's a great resource. And it means that as long as you have your phone/tablet, you always have the Bible with you. You can access the Bible itself from their website, but for the rest of the features, you'll need the app.

Software

OK, so there's only one software I'm recommending here, because I haven't liked the others I've tried.

Logos - Logos is amazing. You can use it on the web (which, if you run Linux, you have to), you can download desktop applications for macOS or Windows, or you can use it as an app on your smartphone or tablet. I use it as a web app on Linux Mint and desktop app on my Mac Mini. You don't have to pay anything unless you want to! You can use Logos for free! Each month they give away 2 books for free so you can expand your library and there are quite a few resources they include for free with your free account. No subscription necessary.

If you wish to subscribe and can afford to, the subscriptions aren't terribly priced. Premium is $9.99/month, Pro is $14.99/month, and Max is $19.99/month if they are paid monthly. You get a 16% discount if you pay yearly, and if you pay for 2 years at once, you'll get 5 months of that 2 years for free. Each paid tier comes with more resources included, plus subscribers get an extra free book each month. I personally subscribe to Pro tier on a monthly basis.

There's an AI research assistant that you can ask questions and it will query your resources or all of Logos' resources for the answers. And you don't have to use it if you don't want to. It's just a faster way to search your library. (I keep mine set to only search through the books I have in my library).

Websites

Now the websites I'm listing here do have apps that go with them, but I find that I tend to use the actual websites more than the apps. In some cases, the apps aren't great and in others I just find myself using the website more.

The Bible Project - I love the Bible Project. I subscribe to their YouTube channels, I listen to their podcasts via Overcast, and I check out the other resources on their website. They make the Bible so much easier to understand - and they use a conversational tone, not a know-it-all tone. I love their videos, their studies, and all of the things they do. They're an amazing team. (And if I lived in Portland, OR, I might try to join them!) PS: Everything Bible Project does is free.

Blue Letter Bible - Blue Letter Bible is an amazing resource. They have several Bible translations, commentaries, language resources, references, courses, devotionals, and so much more there. And it is all free! Even the courses are free. Trust me, it's a great resource.

Bible Gateway - Bible Gateway can be used for free, or to get rid of the obnoxious ads and gain access to more resources, you can pay around $5/month. Not all sections of the site are ad-free with the premium subscription and sometimes ads pop up on the pages that are supposed to be ad-free regardless. It is run by HarperCollins Christian division. It isn't the greatest websites, but... it does give you the ability to print out the Bible chapters you're currently working on. So if you don't want to mark up your actual Bible, and need to write in the margins or underline/circle/bracket things, and you have a printer, this is a great site to obtain a printed version of your chapters that you can mark up!

YouTube Channels

Yes, there are YouTube channels I like/find helpful. I'm not getting into descriptions here, I'm just going to make a list. Some are Bible study, some are Bible reviews, some are general Christianity content, and some are Christian Metal Music (because I'm a metal head).

A Nickels Worth Bible Reviews Bible Project Bible Project Podcast Blue Letter Bible Disciple Dojo Faith Womack Gen X - Christian - Metal Head - Same guy as A Nickels Worth Bible Reviews Heavy Christian Music Keith Ferrin - Your Bible Coach Logos Bible Study App Mariel Davenport Matt Whitman and The Ten Minute Bible Hour Pastor Brad Rocks Pinnacle Peak - Christian Movies Great American Pure Flix Redeeming Productivity Ward on Words

So there you have it. The books, apps, websites, and YouTube channels that I use as resources for Bible study or just for fun.